Market Wrap, Aug 28: Sensex dips 189 pts ahead of F&O expiry

Markets witnessed another volatile trading session on Wednesday as investors rolled-over their positions ahead of the August Futures & Options (F&O) series expiry due on Thursday. Besides, weak global cues and uncertainty over resumption of trade talks between the United States and China kept investors on the sidelines. 

The benchmark S&P BSE Sensex closed at 37,452 level, down 189 points or 0.50 per cent, dragged by heavyweight stocks like Reliance Industries, ICICI Bank, Maruti Suzuki, and HDFC Bank. 23 of the 30 shares listed at the index ended in the red. HCL Tech, Infosys, Tech Mahindra, and HDFC were the top gainers, while YES Bank, Tata Steel, Vedanta, and ONGC ended as the top laggards. In the intra-day trade, the Sensex cracked 392 points to hit a low of 37,249 level. 

The broader Nifty50, too, settled 59 points, or 0.53 per cent, lower at 11,046 level. The index hit an intra-day low of 10,988-mark, down 118 points.

Sectorally, realty stocks gained the most, with the Nifty Realty index settling 2.4 per cent higher. This was followed by Nifty IT index which closed 1.3 per cent higher. On the downside, Nifty Metals index shed 3.4 per cent, followed by Nifty Auto index, down 2 per cent.

In the broader market, S&P BSE Mid-cap index closed at 13,356 level, down 124 points or 0.92 per cent. The S&P BSE Small-cap index, too, dipped 80 points, or 0.64 per cent, to settle at 12,508 level. 

BUZZING STOCKS

Shares of Hindustan Unilever (HUL) slipped as much as 2 per cent to Rs 1,824.15 apiece on the BSE in the early morning trade on Wednesday after the company said it has cut prices of its Lux, Lifebuoy and Dove soaps in the past month following muted growth in the category. 

Shares of Vadilal Industries were trading higher for the fourth straight day, up 4 per cent at Rs 682 on the BSE on Wednesday after the company reported a good set of numbers for the April-June quarter (Q1FY20). The stock was trading at its 52-week high levels. In the past four trading days, it has rallied 22 per cent, as compared to a 3 per cent rise in the S&P BSE Sensex.